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What Is the Outcome of ADHD?

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is a chronic disorder that involves problems with attention span, difficulty controlling one's behavior and hyperactivity. Commonly diagnosed in childhood, ADHD remains through adulthood. With proper treatment and support services, the outcome of ADHD may prove positive and allow for adaptation to new situations.

  1. Research

    • Although treatment can help relieve the symptoms of ADHD, there is no cure available as of 2010. Researchers are focusing on developing new treatment and interventional methods by using tools like brain imaging to more clearly understand how ADHD works, as well as find more effective tools to treat ADHD.

    Medication

    • Treatment for ADHD often involves the use of a stimulant, a type of medication that is meant to be calming for a patient with ADHD. Medications are meant to reduce the level of impulsivity and hyperactivity, meant to improve the ability to focus and learn. Medication may improve problems with physical coordination. However, some medications may not always work well for one child and may result in unwanted side effects or outcomes, such as problems with appetite, difficulty sleeping and anxiety or irritability.

    Therapy

    • Behavioral therapy may improve the outcome for those with ADHD and may help to improve schoolwork or organizing tasks. Therapy may also prove beneficial by having a therapist help to work through specific emotion-evoking events by using a reward or praise to act in a desired way. Therapy can help establish rules for specific behavior, so one with ADHD can understand what is expected of them. Therapy can also improve social skills, by knowing how to react in social situations, including how to read facial expressions.

    Targets

    • As part of a treatment program for ADHD, a physician and therapist may ask that you discuss specific targets for treatment or behavior that creates the most problems and needs attention. These targets will help focus the treatment plan and also provide a way of evaluating the treatment. Targets may involve an improved relationship with a sibling, improved academic performance, decreasing disruptive behavior during a class or another area that need attention. Each specific target may also have specific outcomes that you want to focus on, such as accepting feedback, asking for help when needed, maintaining eye contact, and complying with requests. Having a focused treatment plan can help improve the target outcomes as part of treatment for ADHD.

    Conditions

    • Although ADHD does not cause other health problems, sometimes, those with ADHD have a tendency to have other conditions, such as oppositional defiant disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, learning disabilities, Tourette syndrome and other issues. Having such conditions may inhibit the target outcomes and make the treatment process more difficult.

    Statistics

    • According to David Rabiner, a senior research scientist at Duke University in North Carolina, studies that have followed those with ADHD show that 50 percent of those with ADHD continue to have issues with attention and impulsivity into adulthood. Approximately 1/3 drop out of high school, and only 5 percent complete a university degree in comparison with 40 percent of peers. In order to improve some of these statistics, maintaining proper treatment and therapy proves essential.

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